Portable stack lifter



Jan. 28, 1930. R, 7|' RQMlNE PORTABLE STACK LIFTER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 1, 1927 Patented Jap; i 2av 1930 PATENT OFFICE ROBERT T. ROMINVE, OFMQUNT CLEMENS, MICHIGAN l PORTABLE STACK LIFTER Application filed August 1, 1927. Serial No. 209,932.

This invention relates to a portable stack u lifter or crane particularly adapted to be carried into orout of afreight car'for the purpose of lifting heavy loads from the car floor onto a truck platform or other conveying medium, or vice versa.A

An object of the invention is to provide a stack lifter of the'foregoing character capable of being adjusted vertically to adapt it for use in the handling of relatively high unitary4 packs of sheet metal, and wherein such adjustment is effected by varying the distance between .the lower ends of the supporting legsl of the stack lifter and the ground. y v

Other'objects of this invention will appear in the followingv description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characseveral views.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of lthe stack lifter or crane embodying my invention with the parts in their relative normal positions." p 'Fig 24 is an end elevation of the construction shown in Fig. l. V Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the` stack lifter in itselevated or adjusted position.

- Fig. 4 is an end elevation'of the stack lifter of F ig3.

Fig. 5 is a section taken'along the line 5-5,

Fig. 3.

` efore explaining in detail the present inventiomand the method or mode of operation embodied therein, it is to be understood that `the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts `illustrated in the accompany- `ing drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practised or Carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or. terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms ofthe several claims hereto appended ters designate corresponding parts in the 50 or the requirements of the prior art.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 104,910, filed April 27, 1926, and my application Serial 'No 133,374, filed September 3, 1926.

The portable stack lifter or crane embodys ing my'invention is shown as a whole at V and comprisesv a substantially arch-shaped frame having four spaced-side supports or legs, ysuch as a pair of front legs A and a similar pair of rear le s A1. 'Each leg orA support is preferably i entical in construction, comprising a pair of front and rear parallel structural steel angle bars 10 and 11 respectively. `Each pair of angle bars 1,0 and l1` of each leg is united at the lower end thereof by means of a load distributing foot plate 12 which is riveted to the leg members. The top frame of the stack lifter Acomprises a pair of end transverse angle bars 13 and' a pair of longitudinal side langles 14. To provide an intermediate Hoor or` supporting frame located below the top frame, transverse channel bars 15 at the front and rear 4ends of the stack lifter, and longitudinal chan,-4

nels 16 at opposite sides of the frame work, are provided. rThe vertical leg members 10 and 11 and the members 13, 14, 15 and 16 are rigidly connected together by means of i gusset plates 17 and 18 provided at opposite sides and ends, respectively, at the top of the frame work of the stack lifter. Housed'within the frame work at the-upper end is the hoisting mechanism, including reduction gearing, lifting drums and an electric motor, all of these last-mentioned parts being shown and described in my co-pending application Serial No. 133,374, yfiled September 3, 1926. The stack lifter is provided with a pair of lifting bars or members B which supportl at. opposite ends sheaves or pulley Wheels C. Cables D pass about the sheaves C and are adapted to be wound upon the'winding drums- E. In order to liftand lower the bars C, the elec-tric motor M is operated and serves to wind or release the cables D through the mediuin of the vhoisting mechanism above referred to. A control leverF is provided for the purpose of' supplying or cutting on the elect-ric current for operating" the motor.

Each 'of-the legsA and A1, and preferably the angle 11 of each leg, is provided with a lifting dog G.

Adjacent their lower ends, the angles and 11 of each leg are provided with a series of holes or apertures 10a and 11a.

For the A4purpose of supporting the stack lifter when not under load to permit it to. be propelled or wheeled about, the following construction is provided. At each side of the frame is mounted a horizontal slide member 19 which serves to interconnect each forward and rearv pair of leffs A and A?. As` shown in Fig. 5, this member 19 lis in the form of a continuous rectangular sleeve which embraces each leg support A and A1 and is slidable vertically relatively thereto. At the forward end of the stack lifter the member 19 pro- 'ects beyond the angle 10 and supports a racket 2O which carries a sprin mounted caster wheel 21. The member 19 a jacent the angle bar 11 of the leg A1 .is provided with .a bracket 22 which serves to support a spring mounted caster wheel 23. The wheels 21 and 23 maintain the lower ends of the legs A and A1, that is the foot plates 12 carried by these legs, normally out of contact with the ground as shown in the drawings. Then a load is hoisted by the crane the springs will becompressed to permit the load to be sustained by the leg supports.

The members 19 at opposite longitudinal sides of the stack lifter are provided with holes or apertures which are adapted to register with the holes 10a and 11". Each mem- 85 ber 19 is provided with a removable locking pin or the like 24, there being one of these pins provided for each of the apertures. When the pins are in place as shown in the drawings the members 19 are maintained in fixed rela tion against sliding movement with respect to the legs A and A1.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the stacklifter is shown in its normal position and at its normal height.

Vhen it becomes desirable, however, to in` crease the height of the stack lifter tov that in which it is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, an industrial truck T providedwith a load elevating or lift platform Lis propelled into position between the pairs of spaced legs as shown in Fig. 2. The lifting dogs G are then swung or moved into position to engage the top of the lift platform L, the pins 24 rem`oved and the platform L raised or elevated to elevate 2 the frame together with the legs A andv A1 relatively to the members 19 as shown in Figs.

'3 and 4. The pins 24 are then replaced, this time in the lowermost set of apertures 10 and 11. Blocks H (Figs. 3 and 4) are then inserted beneath the footplates 12, the lift platform L lowered 'and the truck backed out from its position between the stack lifter supporting legs. When the load, such as a pack of metal sheets, is elevated by the hoisting mechanism the springs of the caster structures will be compressed causing the lower ends 12 Vof the legs to rest upon the blocks H. After such a load has been lifted or conve ed from the car the stack lifter may be w eeled other positions within the car to handle additional bundles or packs. It will be noted that the adjustment of the wheels 21 and 23 enables the lifter to be wheeled ofi' the blocks H.

Thus it will be seen that the distance between the lower ends of the legs A and A1 and the ground may be varied, thereby increasing the height of the stack lifter. It will also be noted that the slidable members 19 carry the spring supported caster wheels 21 and 23 so that, regardless of the height of the stack lifter, the lower ends of its supporting legs are normally maintained out of contact with the floor or the blocks H so that it may be moved about from place to place manually.

When it is desired to return the stack lifter to its normal hei ht or the position in which it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the reverse of the lifting operation is performed.

By providing the stack lifter with means for varying or adjusting its height, it is -possible to move it through the doorway of a box car and-then raise it when in position within the car so that it is capable of handling relatively larger loads. The stack lifter is constructed to enable it to lift and lower average size loads without the necessity of adjustment, but frequentl loads of greater dimensions have to be li ted.

What I claim is:

1. A ortable stack lifter' comprising an arched rame having pairs of legs spaced to permit the introduction of a lift truck platform therebetween, hoisting mechanism car- .ried at the top of the stack lifter, and a slide member provided with s ring mounted caster wheels carried by each) pair of legs and adjust-able vertically relatively thereto for varying the distance between the'lower ends of the legs and the ground.

2. A portable stack lifter `comprising an arched frame having pairs of legs spaced to permit the introduction of a lift truck platform therebetween, hoisting mechanism carried at the top of the stack lifter, pairs of spring mounted caster wheels, supports for said wheels, and means carried by said legs and slidable thereon for bodily adjusting said supports vertically. 3. A portable crane comprising an arched frame having pairs of legs spaced to provide a crane bay, spring mounted caster wheels carried by the legs, means for vertically adlegs, and means carried by the legs and adapted to cooperate with a lifting device for enabling the latter to lift the arched frame and permlt adjustment of said wheels.

4. In a portable crane, an arched Aframe having spaced pairs of le a bar connecting a pair oflegs and slidab e vertically thereon, and a pair of wheel carrying supports carried by said bar.

5. In a portable crane, an arched frame having spaced pairs* of legs, a bar connecting a pair of legs and slidable vertically thereon, a pair of wheel carrying supports carried by said bar in the longitudinal plane of a pair of said legs, and spring means for permitting said wheels to yield under load.

6. In a portable crane, an arched -:frame having at each side a longitudinally spaced pair lof legs, a bar spanning each pair of legs and slidably mounted thereon, and caste;` wheel carrying supports carried by said bars.

- 7. In a portable crane, an arched frame having at each side a longitudinally -spaced lpair of legs, a bar spanning each pair of legs and slidably mounted thereon, means for coni necting each bar to the legs ina plurality of vertically adjusted positions, and caster wheel carrying supports carried by said bars.

8.' In a portable crane, an arched frame having at leach side a longitudinally spaced pair of legs, a bar spanning each pair of legs and slidably mounted thereon, and swiveled caster wheel carrying supports'carried by said bars, each support lying in the longitudinal plane of a pair of the legs.

9. A portable crane comprising an arched frame having pairs' of legs spaced transversely to permit the introduction of a lift truck platform, a longitudinal frame bar conv'necting a `pair of legs and adjustable verti cally thereon, caster wheels carried by said means cooperating with the bar and casterwheel.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

ROBERT T. ROMINE.

bars, and -means carried by the legs and cooperating with the truck platform for enabling the latter .to lift the arched frame and permit vertical adjustment of said bars together with the caster wheels.

10. A portable crane comprising an arched frame having pairs of legs spaced transversely to permit the introduction of 4alift truck platform, slide members carried by the legs, spring controlled caster wheel carrying supports fixed to said members, means for adj ustably connecting said slide members to the legs, and means carried by the legsan'd cooperating with the truck platform for enabling the -latter` to lift the arched frame and permit vertical adjustment of said slide members.

11. In a portable stack lifter or crane, an

.arched frame having spaced pairs of legs,

. hoist mechanism carried at the top of said frame, a slid'e member embracing a leg Vand -slidable vertically thereon, means for detachably securing said member in. adjusted position, and a caster wheel structure carried by said slide member and lying in the longitudinal plane of the leg.

12. In a portable stack lifter, an arched frame adapted to carry hoist mechanism at the upper part thereof and comprising spaced pairs of le s, a horizontal frame vbar connecting eac pair of legs, a pair of caster isn 

